Lots of text this week. Bands are getting lazy, it seems. ‘Cause it sure ain’t coy to embolden a Rick Ross-studded punch about the value of bling in which hangs from one’s collar. Even with a Justin Bieber shout-out. Or illustrate the ways in which an old rap-metal crew can’t articulate their emotions. But thems the breaks in the value of the lyric video. Some Swedes with “gasoline” in their veins nailed it with a lightening bolt and a graphic designer worth a check. But then it’s all gloriously down hill from there. Until next week…

Free Fall – ‘Power & Volume’ 

Not every swede is a indie pop genius. Take this whiskey-bottle chuck at a pick-up truck of a hard rock quartet so enamored with the freedom properties of the genre, they’re on a speedster quest for not only “world domination,” but to “liberate” masses with their own definitive subgenre – “Freedom Rock.” And who could deny such a pristine lyric video riding a lightening bolt into your eyes with lines like so:

Got gasoline in my veins and power and volume

LL Cool J – ‘Take It’ 

Mama said sex you up. LL Cool J’s second single from his 13th studio drop, Authentic Hiip-Hop, is all sorts of classy R&B, complete with awesome lady-homage bits like “sometimes I’ve got to give you the gift of missing me.” LL explains – “For you to appreciate what you got/you know what I mean?” The chorus though, straight middle-age panty-droppin’ shiz right there, even with a candle to set the mood:

Let the bells jingling and let the champagne pop

Papa Roach – ‘Before I Die‘

Apparently Papa Roach are now Creed reincarnated. But then again, they only had that one teenage rap-rock jam about suicide. But who are we to judge – we haven’t been paying attention since Infest in 2000, when we were rap-rockin’ teenage dreamers. It appears as though they’re still contemplating ways of death on their forthcoming seventh record, The Connection, but not so much anger, rather this sorry attempt at self-expression. Dope font, though:

I’m trying to apologize but I can’t feel my feelings

Once in a Lifetime – ‘Chase Your Dreams’ 

Channeling a little Vegan Black Metal Chef, these emo-whipped throat metalists have some hilarious enlightening rage to belt out. There are six of ’em. And they call Canada home. Where they incubate and chase dreams and summon the thrash gods to remind people that radical honesty is the key to rockness. Also another band with an affinity for fancy fonts. And skulls with tophats:

This first and most difficult risk we can take/Is to be honest with ourselves, with ourselves

Meek Mill – ‘Believe It‘ 

From the jesus-hatin’, bottle-throwin’ Rick Ross hip-hop protege’s debut record, Dreams and Nightmares, comes this odd lyrical treat aping Kanye‘s demonic “Mercy” keys sample, throwing every tawdry cliche – guns, sex, drugs – at your ear holes, while Rick Ross chimes in to work in a Justin Bieber mention. Yes it’s worse in visual text form:

I got that Justin Bieber please believe it/A quarter million hangin’ on my collar